The saga reflected political sniping and the inability of parties in the government of national unity to cooperate
Amending his proposal at this stage would force more borrowing, the minister warned in papers filed in response to the DA
The party has proposed a R512.8bn revenue strategy and refuses to agree to a VAT increase
The Economic Freedom Fighters say the ANC only holds discussions with them during times of political crisis
The parties remain divided over an increase in VAT, which the DA says South Africans cannot afford
The stand-off between the two parties dates back to 19 February when DA leader John Steenhuisen made clear the party would not support a national budget that proposed a two percentage point increase in VAT
The Trump factor, plus the ANC and the DA playing to the brink, has cost the country R1 trillion
Tension between the DA and ANC persists but ActionSA may keep them together
The Democratic Alliance’s federal executive has held an urgent meeting to decide how to respond to an invitation to talks by the ANC’s national working committee
Secretary general Fikile Mbalula challenged the Democratic Alliance to either support the government of national unity or make its exit official, as tension rises over the budget
The ANC has bought itself time to decide whether to expel its constantly restive coalition partner
The Inkatha Freedom Party president said the VAT debate should not be weaponised to derail the coalition government’s primary mandate of ensuring economic stability and service delivery
Here and worldwide people are feeling detached from society and lonely, so they grab onto populist political leaders and parties
This is a moment that calls for strong leaders and a united nation. Right now, we don’t have either
In its court papers filed on Thursday, the party said the fiscal framework that will lead to the tax increase was pushed through unprocedurally
The Democratic Alliance now plans to challenge the fiscal framework in court, further raising the tension around its future in the ruling coalition
But the presidency said on Wednesday the crunch vote on the fiscal framework was a test of the party’s commitment to the GNU
The ANC secretary general also said there was no truth to rumours that it and the DA had reached an agreement
The minister also took a swipe at the DA during the inaugural Aziz Pahad dialogue, saying government was implementing the will of the people, not ANC policy
Divisions in the party have emerged over VAT hikes, coalition negotiations, and fiscal policy strategies
Budget approval hangs in the balance and resistance to it is set to play out in the legislature’s finance committees
The Democratic Alliance said the budget would struggle to pass in parliament, given the ANC’s lack of a majority
His party would have yielded if any increases were guaranteed to be temporary and tied to an overhaul of state spending patterns
The finance minister suggests that much of the opposition wrangling is part of a broader political battle
The minister conceded that the measure did not have support across the political spectrum
Members of the government of national unity and opposition parties have raised concerns that the ongoing impasse between the ANC and DA could trigger the need for fresh elections
The problem isn’t value-added tax – it’s relentless taxation amid financial mismanagement
The Democratic Alliance has suggested cutting government budgets for advertising, travel and catering, and a freeze on hiring for non-essential positions to make up the budget shortfall
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavhenini said the postponement was necessary to address funding challenges within a constrained fiscal environment
We all have the obligation to participate publicly because it is our collective responsibility to advance South Africa Inc.
The DA has upped the ante in its demands for consultation on every point of government policy, although ANC ministers also opposed a planned VAT increase
The parties accused parliament of failing its constitutional duties after the delay, caused by divisions in the unity government over a proposed VAT hike